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Arken
Arken is a story character introduced late in Etrian Odyssey V. She first appears to the party in the Lucent Hollows, as a "mysterious hooded girl" who indicates the presence of the Crystal Dragon and encourages them to advance further up the stratum to defeat it. Once that happens, the party is ushered forward into the next stratum: the Untamed Garden. It is then when the player realizes that this girl is the one doing the narrations to the stratum intro cutscenes. Near the top of the labyrinth, she introduces herself as Arken, and explains that the Untamed Garden - and the rest of Yggdrasil - was created to contain the Eternal Tyrant until she could find a party strong enough to defeat it. To this end, she created and circulated the myths surrounding the Yggdrasil. After its defeat, Arken congratulates the party, revealing her true form underneath her hood. She is of an alien race - also named Arken - which has been tasked with watching over many worlds, including that of Arcania, to ensure their growth until they can handle themselves. The conquest of the labyrinth has become proof that humanity has grown to overcome the darkness that once suppressed them, and she is no longer needed there, entrusting the future of Arcania to its residents. Returning to the final room of 25F has the party reunite with Arken. She runs through the rewards from the myths of the Yggdrasil - the party has already attained fame from their conquest, and wisdom from learning the truth behind the labyrinth. All that's left is power and treasure, and so she bestows the party with the Yggdrasil Ring and Yggdrasil Mythril. She has no reason to remain on the planet, and is about to depart, when she suggests the party escort her to the next planet she is to watch over. With this, she reveals a portal at the back of the floor, leading into the Empyreal Bridge. While the party travels through the Empyreal Bridge, Arken follows them, but does not participate in battle, having no combat ability. At the 30th floor, she receives a message from her people: her homeworld, and the fleet approaching the party's home planet, had been attacked by the Star Devourer. There were no survivors, but they had managed to seal the Devourer to ensure safe passage to the next planet she watches over. Arken is shaken by this news, but regains her composure and urges the party to proceed. If the party unseals the Star Devourer, additional dialogue to its intro cutscene is added. Arken swears vengeance, furious that it had killed her kind, but the rest of what she tries to say is obscured in static. The party defeats the Star Devourer, and Arken showers them with praise, and finds comfort knowing that her kind has been avenged. Regardless of whether the player unseals the Devourer or not, Arken heads to the very end of 30F. She thanks the party for their service, and invites them to join her on the next planet she is set to oversee. The party's decision on whether to follow her or remain on Arcania is left ambiguous. After the credits roll, one last cutscene is played, depicting Arken's destination: A blue, Earth-like planet. With the first Etrian Odyssey title theme being played on this moment, it is presumed that this is the same Earth that serves as the setting for the first few Etrian games. Category:Etrian Odyssey V Characters